Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is set to have a final hearing in the UK on May 22, 2024, to determine if he can appeal his extradition to the United States. Assange has been held in a London prison since 2019 and faces charges under the Espionage Act for obtaining and publishing classified government documents on WikiLeaks in 2010. The High Court asked the US authorities to provide specific assurances regarding Assange's treatment if extradited, including that he would not face the death penalty or be persecuted for his nationality and that he could seek the same First Amendment protections as a US citizen. If Assange's appeal request is denied, he could be put on a plane bound for the United States within 24 hours.
Assange's legal team argued against accepting US assurances regarding freedom of speech and nationality discrimination in previous hearings. The judges granted him permission for a full appeal on these points. Assange maintains that his extradition is politically motivated.
The case has been ongoing since April 2022, when Priti Patel, Britain's home secretary at the time, approved the extradition. In February 2024, the High Court heard Assange's final bid for an appeal. The judges asked for specific assurances from US authorities to make their decision.
Assange faces 18 charges in total, including espionage and computer misuse, which could result in a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison if convicted. Chelsea Manning is alleged to have stolen diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published under Assange's direction.
Assange's half-brother, Gabriel Shipton, has traveled the world advocating for his brother's release. He was a guest at US President Joe Biden's State of the Union address earlier this year. Assange was first arrested in London in 2010 on a Swedish warrant accusing him of sexual assault, but all charges were later withdrawn.
